About Wellness Corporate Solutions

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

3 Biometric Screening Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Many of our clients are already busy planning their biometric screenings, and you may be as well. If so, you're no doubt thinking of ways to boost participation.

Below, I've listed three of the most common barriers that keep employees from participating in screenings. Keep these in mind as you plan you communications strategy:

Challenge #1: I'm afraid of my numbers!
If you haven't had your cholesterol checked in a while -- or maybe ever -- it can be a stressful experience. What if I have high cholesterol or high blood pressure? I feel fine, but what if something is wrong?

Expert Health Education
Be sure to offer robust onsite health education at the screening. It may be your best shot at reaching your employees, so let them know you're offering support. Our health educators are almost exclusively registered dietitians -- experienced health coaches with the clinical background required to discuss chronic conditions -- and they get raves at every screening.

Challenge #2: No needles!
Some people steer clear of screenings because they hate needles. They didn't like them when they were kids, and they certainly don't like them now!

No needles necessary.
Effective communication is really helpful here. A fingerstick test requires only a few drops of blood, and when it's over, most people are blown away by how easy it was. Ask your screening vendor for detailed information about the testing process and share it with your employees. Explain that you've chosen the fingerstick option because it's less invasive.

Challenge #3: Why Are You Really Doing This?
Your employees may have serious questions about your motivations: Who will see their numbers? Will the screening be used against them somehow?

Because We Want You To Be Healthy.
I've said this before but it bears repeating: Explain the privacy laws governing health information. Let your employees know that you're working with at third-party vendor to ensure confidentiality. Tell them exactly what will happen to their data. Transparency is crucial.

If you'd like more information about our screenings, just let us know. We'll be happy to help.

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Wellness Corporate Solutions is a nationwide provider of employee wellness programs and biometric screenings. We offer this blog to help benefits brokers, HR managers and others in the wellness industry stay current.

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